Good news for Ojai! The US Department of Transportation has declared that the needs of pedestrians and cyclists must be placed alongside, not behind, those of motorists. In what amounts to a true paradigm shift, the automobile will no longer be the prime consideration in federal transportation planning.
In March, 2010, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced: “People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning, This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized. We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities."
Cities everywhere are under orders by various air-control agencies to reduce vehicular trips. There is a growing sense of urgency to encourage people to leave their car at home as much as possible and walk, bicycle, car-pool or ride the bus or trolley.
It is my hope that this change of attitude toward alternative transportation will help us move forward in implementing Ojai's Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. You may recall that back in 1999, after two years of public meetings, workshops and presentations before the Planning Commission and City Council, Ojai adopted a Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan that would have made our city a national leader in promoting cycling and walking.
One of the driving forces behind the Plan was the concern that many Ojai children are being driven by car to school, recreation and other activities that, in most cases, are less than a mile from home.
In 1997, two years before the BikePed Plan was adopted, the teachers at Topa Topa School wrote a letter to the City that is still relevant today. The letter stated: “It is our goal to provide excellent academic educational services and to teach our students about eco-literacy and sustainable living. For the students to truly understand what sustainable living means they must be able to practice what we are teaching. One way that they can do this is by riding their bikes to school. A bike lane would allow for students to do this safely.
If we as a community do not work to provide a safe means of alternative transportation then what we teach them by inaction is that they have only one choice. The future is not built on a pin point. Children must see their many choices if they are to feel that they have a future.
We feel it is the community's duty to support children and to provide such alternatives as bike lanes for safe passage to school,” the letter concluded.
Studies prove that bike lanes and other markings boost bicycle use, reduce vehicular traffic and speeding, and in many cases, decrease car-bike collisions. Not every street in Ojai is wide enough for a bike lane, but the Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan also points to alternatives, like bicycle boulevards, marks on the street known as "sharrows" or "Share the Road" arrows and signage.
Ojai resident John van Houten, M.D. recently wrote a letter to the City that echoed the 1997 Topa Topa School letter. He wrote: “My children are unable to safely ride their bikes to school despite living within a mile from both schools. Riding down any main street in Ojai is an exercise in weaving around parked cars, avoiding being “mirrored” by passing cars on the left and “doored” by the parked cars on the right."
Dr. van Houten went on to say: "It is time for Ojai to take a new look at the existing Bike Plan and make a real effort in promoting a culture of cycling. Children should have safe bike routes to our schools. Tourists should be able to ride bikes from our local inns to our downtown merchants on protected bikeways. Residents should be able to commute to work and go on local errands on their bikes knowing that the city of Ojai recognizes their right to be on the road and even encourages cycling as a valued form of transportation.
The cost of re-lining roads, painting shared bike lane markers, installing bike lane signs, educating cyclists and motorists alike, and increasing the number of bike racks downtown is minimal. The benefits to our environment, health, and economy are priceless!” Dr. van Houten said in summation.
The mission of the Green Coalition’s Transportation Committee is to promote transportation options that result in reducing air pollution, traffic congestion, and reliance on petroleum as a primary fuel source. Our goal is to make Ojai a model walking, biking, and alternative-transportation-friendly community. Our current focus is assisting the City of Ojai in implementing the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan adopted more than ten years ago.
Editorial by Suza Francina, Chair of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition Transportation Committee
Note: Ojai Valley News Guest Editorial, April 21, 2010
Cross Posted on http://www.ojaipost.com/2010/04/pedaling_toward_a_greener_ojai.shtml
